


i'd let you in but then you might just pull away

by artemidos



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 'He Wrote A Book About Her' the AU, 'I was thinking about Dair' the AU, Eventual Romance, F/M, Future Fic, loosely connected to canon, they're in denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-05-07 14:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14673375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemidos/pseuds/artemidos
Summary: It seemed that all people who had read Jughead’s latest manuscript had noticed distinct similarities between the central character and one, Veronica Lodge.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i did not expect that i would ever be a jeronica shipper but... here i am. thanks to sav for the constant encouragement. comments/kudos appreciated. i hope you love the garbage like i do.

Veronica heard it through the grapevine. 

The grapevine also known as Kevin Keller after one too many glasses of red wine. 

There was a look on his face, like he wanted to tell her something as they relaxed on the couch in her New York apartment. She caught it right away. From there, it hadn’t been exactly hard to coax it out of him, looking over at him with narrowed eyes. He was a gossip, as was she, but she was just a bit better about staying hushed about other people’s business. 

“Spill it, Keller.” She ordered after a little bit of prodding and it spilled out like she’d prompted a volcano to erupt. 

“Well… it’s just that... you’re the main character in Jughead’s new book and he won’t admit it.” Kevin’s words were strung together clumsily, bumping into each other in the rush to leave his mouth. 

For a moment, Veronica was genuinely shocked. “I’m the  _ what now _ ?”

It turned out it wasn’t quite as dramatic as the way Kevin had phrased it. It seemed that all people who had read Jughead’s latest manuscript had noticed distinct similarities between the central character and one, Veronica Lodge. Central themes of the plot and similarities other than a short, raven haired girl in heels and a pencil skirt weilding a sharp tongue were difficult to express without reading the novel yourself. That was the conclusion they had to come to, since Kevin was going off the opinion of others. Or, more specifically, the opinion of Betty and Archie. 

Archie, her sweet, charming ex-boyfriend who’d once been her father’s new favourite underling before it had deteriorated their relationship. 

They’d broken up about a month after she moved for college. They didn’t see each other often and when they did, he often had this look in his big brown puppy dog eyes as if he was hoping one day she’d change her mind. His idealism was endearing, but never quite enough to convince Veronica to tread water in that fantasy any time soon. 

And then Betty, whom she saw twice a week for brunch and dinner, who had mentioned nothing about Jughead’s new novel other than the fact that it was good. Veronica hadn’t sensed that she was being cagey about it at first, but in that moment she was second guessing it. She and Jughead had called it quits for the millionth time and Veronica was just waiting for the day Betty showed up to see her with a skip in her step, announcing that they were back on. To which, Veronica usually responded that they were  _ always on _ . 

How could neither of them have said something to her? 

“This is weird.” Was the most eloquent thing Veronica had to say, pushing the rim of her glass against her red bottom lip, eyes going wide as she stared into space. 

“You’re telling me.” Kevin replied, equally glassy eyed. 

* * *

It wasn’t until Veronica had sobered up and Kevin had gone off to pass out in the guest bedroom for the night that she had made the concrete decision to draft up an email to Jughead about his book.

Betty had mentioned the launch back before they’d broken up and she had assumed she would come to show support, meet some of his serious writer friends. She had to imagine they were a world away from when he was frequently running with the Southside Serpents. 

The email succinctly and professionally entailed her concerns about what she’d heard about the book and the fact that she would like to, if possible, read a copy before it was sitting in bookstores. There had only been minor spelling mistakes when she checked back again after she finished writing. After rewriting it twice, rather than waiting until she was completely sober in the morning, she pressed send on impulse and then stared at the screen. 

Veronica never did get an email back. 

Instead, when she woke up, later than usual, she had two text messages from Jughead waiting on her phone. 

**Jughead Jones: can’t we text like normal people? that email read like a lawyer wrote it.**

**Jughead Jones: i’ll bring you a copy**

* * *

Veronica distinctly remembered the last time Jughead was in her apartment. It was months ago, for a housewarming party that hadn’t exactly gone perfectly.

It was fine, at first. She had enough cheese platters to keep even the bottomless pit that was Jughead’s stomach content, as well as enough wine to please Kevin and Cheryl, who went on to become fiends when it came to the small bar in her apartment. 

They chattered about school and work, the night began easy, casual. That was until Archie — sweet, clueless Archie — arrived with a girl on his arm. 

It wasn’t that Veronica was mad he’d moved on. Hell, she’d brought a person or two back to her apartment, had ongoing flirtatious conversations with a couple of people she’d met. She knew what he was like, that he jumped in head first, but something about it had genuinely pissed her off, especially when it seemed the girl was unaware of what she’d walked into. 

Eventually, she’d asked him to leave and the rest of the night, Veronica, Betty and Jughead sat quiet and awkward on the couch as Cheryl, Toni and Kevin entertained the rest of her guests with stories of the fabled Riverdale High. Eventually the night came to an end and they were the ones to stick around to clean up, Jughead surprisingly the one to distract her by bringing up how he’d recently been reading Pynchon. They settled on the decision that they should watch  _ Inherent Vice  _ together, but with busy schedules it never seemed to happen. 

This time, Jughead didn’t come bearing the gift of a bottle of wine and a wrapped box set of three intricately carved black candles she’d presumed that Betty picked out. 

(They were sitting on her bookshelf in her room, if he was to ask about them.)

He showed up with a worn leather book bag slung over his shoulder to match the familiar dark circles under his eyes. He offered an awkward, half smile. “Veronica.”

“Forsythe.” He scowled at her use of his real name, probably cursing the day she’d learned it. She blinked back at him, trying to read every bit of body language. Mostly he just looked uncomfortable underneath the spotlight of her gaze. 

It seemed they were in a standoff for a moment, before Veronica finally took a step back, allowing him access to her apartment. 

“So, how did the conspiracy finally reach you?” He asked casually, passing through the hallway as she followed after shutting the door, arms folded carefully over her chest. 

“One guess.” She replied curtly.

It only took him a moment to turn around and peer at her. “ _ Kevin _ .”

“The little birdy who whispered in my ear himself.”

“And I suppose Betty told him.”

“Well she certainly didn’t say a word to me about it.” Veronica tried not to sound bitter as they both took a seat in her living room, on opposite ends of her coffee table, her on the white Chesterfield sofa and him in one of the armchairs. 

The second they were seated and she began to look expectant, he launched into explanation. “They’re both jumping to conclusions. The girl in this novel… she’s not you, Veronica. I just want that to be clear.”

“So you won’t mind if I read it, so I know for sure.” She replied, almost teasing him. 

“You’re going to laugh, at what they seem to think screams  _ Veronica Lodge _ .” 

“Okay.”

He continued on, trying to make it as clear as possible that it wasn’t quite what it had been made out to be. “It’s laughable, the very thought that I would base my novel around—”

“ _ Jughead _ .” She cut him off, sounding impatient. “Just give me the copy you brought over so I can make this easier on the both of us.”

He looked reluctant, but slipped the bag off his shoulder, laying it against the arm of the chair before he placed a large stack of white paper there. Veronica edged it towards herself gingerly, assessing the first page carefully and then peering up at Jughead in front of her. 

“Interesting title.” She finally commented and then, as if from nowhere procured a pair of black rimmed glasses, slipping them on as she brought the manuscript to her lap. 

“I didn’t know you wore glasses.” Jughead commented, almost idly as he sat there wringing his hands. He was used to criticism, had steeled himself to the fact that not every single person would approve of or like what he wrote. It never occurred to him that he should be so nervous about Veronica reading what he’d put so much work into. Surprising himself with his own cowardice, he longed to scurry off and hide. “Can I go?”

“No way, you’re staying until I can form an opinion about this. Besides, feedback is good. I don’t know why you never asked me to provide any in the first place.” 

“We’re not exactly close friends.” He argued weakly.

“But we  _ are _ friends, are we not?” She volleyed back and for a moment he was stumped.

“Sure, I guess.” He replied reluctantly, holding back more.

Veronica went back to turning the page, but unexpectedly spoke again, making his head shoot up from the way it hung low as he stared at his lap.“Isn’t this one of the things they cover in college creative writing courses, that writing about people you know is never going to go down well?”

“You haven’t even read it yet. I’m telling you, it’s not about you.” He continued to argue.

“Well from what I’m hearing I’m centre stage, not just a viciously described blip in an attempt to rival Kerouac, which I feel would have been more in character for you.” She said, finally landing on the first page but barely skimming over the first word. 

“Didn’t figure you were an _ On The Road _ fan.”

She made a face. “I’m not.” 

“Just… read it, will you? You’re forcing me to sit here and the more talking we do the longer I have to stay.” Jughead’s voice had taken on a surprising pleading quality, but he was shifting his gaze away from hers a moment later. He looked awkward and nervous, fidgeting with the hem of his beanie before he pulled it off entirely. 

“Fine.” Veronica replied, apparently always needing to get in the last word. 

* * *

At least forty five minutes later, while Jughead was scouring her fridge to make a meal and eating half his weight in expensive cheese, he heard the familiar sound of high heels aggressively clicking in his direction.

Shoving another piece of cheese in his mouth after a smooth, perfectly salted cracker, he raised his eyebrows as Veronica entered the kitchen, glasses now pushed up to the top of her head. Really, he didn’t know what he expected, but it surprised him to see that there was something icy in her expression. Not something he’d never seen, but the severity directed at him was definitely new. His stomach churned and suddenly the food in his mouth tasted off. 

It didn’t help in the slightest when she finally spoke. “Get out.” 

“What?” He said around a mouthful of food. 

“I’ve read enough. Leave my apartment, now. Just take it with you.” She ordered, somehow standing taller than him and more terrifying than he’d ever seen her. 

Jughead grabbed a napkin and spat the food in his mouth out into it, which only earned him a look of disgust and then he lost her attention all together. “Veronica…” 

Rather than giving him a moment to explain or try to convince her of otherwise, she launched into what she’d found in those first three chapters. “A girl who wears pearls every day? Under her father’s thumb and clueless? Vapid, materialistic, vain… I don’t know why you bothered naming her Celine, why be coy about it when you could just call her Veronica Lodge, the girl I’ve loathed since high school.” 

No one had put it like that before, so blunt, pointing out the things he’d forced himself to not think too much into. Inspiration came from everywhere. There were so many things about Celine that were so different to Veronica and yet she wasn’t exactly wrong. Unable to verbalise any of this, he ended up stuck on that last part. “If I hated you, don’t you think you would have known before right now?”

It seemed for a second she was truly considering his words, but it changed nothing. She remained ice cold. “Get out of my apartment, Jughead.”

“Okay… just… will you keep reading it?” Jughead was surprised to hear himself pleading again, still holding a napkin of cheese and cracker in his hand, feeling uncomfortable, as if she was slowly setting him alight.

“No, I will  _ not _ keep reading that vile, cruel takedown you call a novel.” She replied, offended at even the idea. 

Jughead took a step closer to her, though some part of him was aware it was a bad idea. “I’m not taking it with me. You wanted to read it, read the whole thing.”

“I’m not repeating myself.” At this point, Veronica was refusing to look at him, practically seething with rage. 

There was no choice other than to back off, leaving with a lingering look as he left a mess on the island in her kitchen, flying past the open pages on her couch. He collected his book bag and disappeared. He didn’t get to see Veronica cutting up a particularly large piece of soft cheese to shove in her mouth as she frowned to herself. Jughead found himself in a daze as he made his way back to his smaller apartment, in a far less luxe neighbourhood, faced with the realisation that maybe he had in fact unknowingly taken Veronica Lodge as his muse. He also knew that her reading the rest of his novel would either remedy or ruin the situation further, if she wasn’t about to burn it in her fireplace. 

* * *

It wasn’t until several hours later, when the food had been cleared up and she stood at the edge of her living room, sans heels and with her hair tied in a low ponytail that she even glanced at Jughead’s novel again. With her hands on her hips, for a moment she considered getting rid of it in some way, but then she realised if she had wanted to do that, it would have been done already.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t take the criticism, it was just that after all of this time, it felt so harsh. When they were younger she’d gotten used to Jughead not being all that partial to her despite the fact they ran in the same tight knit circle. Things had been so hectic that sometimes there really was no time to sit there and sort through their feelings or talk it out, a lot of the time. She assumed their bond was more unspoken and interesting, full of bickering and misunderstanding but as they had gotten older she thought they’d actually kind of become real friends. She had assumed they had some sort of lifelong bond for surviving Riverdale. 

This book made her wonder if she’d been fooling herself into ever thinking any of that, though she was tempted by the fact that he’d asked her to keep going. He’d seemed pretty insistent about that. 

Instead of giving in, she went to her bedroom, carefully changing out of her skirt and blouse to put on an uncharacteristically comfy outfit. She then strode out of her room in well-fitting grey sweatpants and a tiny navy blue tank top, settling herself back on the couch. 

After a couple of false starts, she began to read again. 

* * *

Jughead was awake when he received the text. It wasn’t like he had the best sleep schedule in general, but the whole Veronica debacle had put a bad taste in his mouth, leading to him rereading the beginning chapters, trying to get into her head as he did so.

It wasn’t great, but he wasn’t brave enough to venture further anyway. The buzzing of his phone had relieved him from the duty of trying in the first place, though he was more expecting something from Betty or Archie, assuming that Veronica had gone to one of them, most likely the former. 

Betty had just been mildly amused when she’d first made the observation, giggling and trying to convince him of something he refused to believe. In the end, it seemed like it was the catalyst for their latest and worst breakup, though it was hardly the only reason for it. 

Surprisingly, this time it was seeming like it might stick because it wasn’t Betty that was texting him and it never seemed to be anymore. 

**Veronica Lodge: i finished it. no longer mad. come over at soonest convenience to make up.**

Jughead figured that right away was his soonest convenience, even considering the fact that it was nearing one a.m.

**Jughead Jones: how about now?**

**Veronica Lodge: well, i was going to be up anyway**

* * *

The moment she opened the door this time, Jughead was a little startled at the look of her. It was the most dressed down he’d ever seen her and they’d once spent a whole weekend together once. Her hair was up in a neat bun that made her look very much akin to a ballerina, but her face was clear of makeup, her glasses still sitting on the bridge of her nose. Without heels it became apparent to him just how tiny she really was. She was even wearing sweatpants, for God’s sake. It was  _ incredible _ . Unlike her, he still had most of his hair hidden in the safety blanket of his worn beanie.

They began to speak at the same time, as if someone had pressed play on the both of them. 

“I couldn't put it down—”

“I’m so sorry about—”

They both paused, but eventually Jughead held his hand out. “You go.”

Veronica smiled softly at him, like she was grateful. “It's  _ really _ good, Jug.”

“Yeah?” He looked sheepish. Of course he wanted to take some pride in his work, but it had been a transition, going from Riverdale to the rich pool of talent found in New York. 

“I was genuinely impressed.  _ Moved, _ even. I sped through those pages like I was starving for it, in the least narcissistic way possible. I loved her, by the way, Celine. That redemption arc touched my heart.” She continued to gush. “Come, we can continue this over hot chocolates. It’s the next best thing after coffee, since I doubt either of us need the caffeine right now.” 

Jughead followed, equally amazed and confused as he followed her through the now slightly more familiar apartment, taking a seat at the breakfast bar when she ordered him to. She continued talking, earning eager responses from him for the most part, intrigued about her point of view on it. He was thankful she wasn’t looking ready to bite his head off any longer, though he felt a little uneasy still, like she’d seen some part of him he wasn’t aware he was bearing. 

Veronica finally brought over the two mugs of rich hot chocolate that she’d been fussing over, two white mini marshmallows neatly inside each. Despite their perfection, she still looked more relaxed than he’d ever seen her. That was, until she began to look amused. “I just never realised how big a number I must have done on you with that hot tub kiss back in high school. I mean, if it made  _ this  _ much of an impact.”

Jughead choked on the sip he’d been taking, wiping his mouth and then trying to wipe the minimal splatter with his sweater sleeve. “What?”

“Oh, come on, like you don’t remember that night  _ vividly _ .” She smiled as she took a sip and then licked her lips, placing the mug down as she looked at him. He stared back at her, momentarily stirred. 

“I’m just concerned about what you’re implying here.”

Veronica replied with absolute confidence. “You have a crush on me, obviously.” 

Jughead looked flabbergasted. “I have a  _ what _ now? What are we, twelve? I don’t have a crush on you, Veronica.”

His denial did nothing to stump her. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I only figured it out towards the end… that guy Celine ends up with, it was a bit difficult to pick up on it, but he’s clearly inspired by you. He has you  _ in _ him; the brooding, the tiredness, the sad backstory... tall, dark and handsome.”

“They don’t end up together, it’s ambiguous.” He rushed to correct.

Veronica looked proud. “So you  _ do _ have a crush on me.” 

The colour drained from his face, but all he did was sigh. He let her win, because although he hadn’t arrived at her apartment thinking he did, although it seemed ridiculous to even consider that maybe even some small part of him had a thing for Veronica Lodge, his work spoke for him. 

It didn’t have to be a big deal and yet it sent them both into silence. At least they had their hot chocolate to take up some time lamenting over the revelation of Jughead’s apparent feelings. In the end, neither of them brought it up again. 

Instead, they ended up on her couch, watching  _ Inherent Vice _ like they’d planned to, forever ago now. Partway through the movie they both fell asleep, Jughead still in his black jeans and sneakers, leaned over but still mostly upright, his arm over the back of the couch. Veronica was curled up into herself, her dark hair that had partially fallen from its bun awfully close to Jughead’s fingers. She woke up first, far too early to justifiably kick someone out that looked as sleep deprived as he did. Instead, she placed a blanket over him and went to her room. When she woke up after another few hours of sleep, he was gone, but there was a new text waiting on her phone.

**Jughead Jones: raided your cupboard for the commute back. we should do that again sometime.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so thankful people seem to be liking this. i've been nervous about posting this second chapter, although i've had it written for a while but hopefully you guys like it!

From that point forward, Veronica and Jughead were making an unspoken effort to be in each other’s lives. They could easily call it the blossoming of a friendship, though there was the undercurrent of what he’d essentially admitted in every interaction.

Through movie nights in Veronica’s sprawling apartment that Jughead claimed to love purely because of the opportunity to escape his roommates and last minute coffee dates where arguments over which cafe was a better choice bled into conversations about literature, film and philosophy, they strengthened a weak connection.

Jughead had always seen them as so different, but maybe in a way they were two sides of the same coin. They’d both attempted in high school to make themselves fit into the paths laid out for them.  Jughead donned a Serpent jacket and embraced his legacy, Veronica fastened her pearl necklace and attempted to learn the family business. They’d both found some solace in it, but they’d also found that it wasn’t quite what they wanted to do with their lives.

They’d both ended up in college in New York, watching Betty Cooper overwork herself and kept up with Archie through his whirlwind lovelife and second attempt at taking music seriously. In both of their relationships they were the moon, fighting to be happy, to not let their personal problems eclipse the sunlight of the person they loved.

Veronica had clearly grown out of Archie a long time ago, but it had taken Jughead time to even acknowledge the fact that maybe Betty wasn’t the centre of his universe any longer, even when he wasn’t seeking her guidance first any longer.

They had quiet conversations, he admitted things to Veronica that he had never wanted to tell anyone else for the shame of them.

“You know, when I first moved here it wasn't like I thought it would be. I could barely write… I wasn't really feeling that inspiration I thought I’d get.” He explained, somewhat shamefully.

She reached out and squeezed his bicep comfortingly. “You had an Esther Greenwood moment, it happens.”

Jughead gave her a patronised look and then chuckled, relaxing somewhat as he went on. “Something like that. My expectations were a little high for a self proclaimed cynic and I really felt the weight of being so wrong. I was in a pretty crappy state, but I just remembered... there was that night you and Betty planned to take me to dinner.”

“I forgot about that. Betty got busy and cancelled last minute…” Veronica frowned, staring elsewhere as if she was trying to recall the memory. It was clear she knew what he was talking about.

He pushed on. “And you then took me to that bar anyway, paid for everything even when it pissed me off a little bit but I realised at some point... that you weren't making some point for Betty’s sake, you were just being Veronica. Maybe a little much sometimes, but well meaning… a good friend. After I got back I showered and like the most cliche thing in the fucking world, I came up with what became the opening line, about Celine. And I wasn’t struck immediately, it took time, but eventually I was writing every day and it became this book. Leave it to me to never consider the connection until everyone was pointing it out to me.”

Veronica started back at him, a little uncertain and a little flattered. “I’m honoured that I could help get you out of that funk, even if I had no idea. Especially considering what you managed to do after it.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty proud of it too.” Jughead replied, his voice a little more somber, his expression a little more focused in on what was happening.

It was the closest they’d ever gotten to sincerity and it clearly had them both frazzled, staring at each other for a moment. Veronica reached for his hand, taking it in hers and moving it down between them, offering a soft smile. “Come on, at this rate we’ll never make it through our Hitchcock marathon.”

Veronica didn’t let go of his hand, but they never spoke about that.

* * *

Often brunch with Betty was full of updates and explanation, filling each other in on their lives. Of course the topic of Jughead came up, and Veronica had always listened with patience when they were off, expecting them to be back on soon enough. They both knew in the end it would be Betty and Jug again, the imperfect and yet perfect couple. They’d been through so much that being with someone else would be strange, wrong, even.

It felt different, now that there was a shift. Betty seemed to have noticed it too.

“I really think this might be it, V. No more me and Juggy, for good.” She said, pushing what remained of her omelette around her plate and then stabbing a small piece to bring to her mouth.

Veronica wasn’t sure how to feel about the admission. She didn’t talk about Betty with Jughead often, but when they had it had been with a finality that worried her. No part of her would ever want her best friend heartbroken and still pining over him, unable to move on. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I really do. And I’m not… upset about it, either. I think we’ve been holding on for a long time because it didn’t feel safe to let go, but maybe it’s time to call it for good, you know? I’d like some time to just be single, living in the city... to come into my own.”

Her words were reassuring, but it made her feel selfish. Still, she nodded and gave her a grin.

“You know I support you no matter what. I’m proud of you for seeing the positives, B.” Veronica reached out to take her hand to squeeze it and then went back to eating. “And if you get sick of all that soul searching and need a little bit of fun, I can find you some in no time.”

Betty laughed bashfully, looking down. “Thanks, V.”

* * *

To Veronica’s surprise, Jughead invited her to a party his agent insisted on him going to as they continued getting closer. He even let her pick out his suit, citing a designer brand name he couldn’t seem to remember a second later when he admitted that he didn’t look half bad. She looked slick and sophisticated as always, with a slit in her dress that was daringly high and had her catching his eyes wandering in the back of the car.

Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t just better at buying expensive clothing, but she was far better at all the small talk and networking. She eased through crowds and conversation with the type of grace that came with years and years of having to be the perfect daughter and spokes girl for her parents. Jughead didn’t seem quite as comfortable, having stilted chatting with people he admired or didn’t know at all and failing for the most part.

When she noticed just how uncomfortable and anxiety-ridden he was, she decided on getting out of there early. They ended up back at her apartment with fried food and her pick of trashy reality television and took turns comparing the scenes on the screen to classic cinema as best they could. Still half-dressed to the nines, Veronica had kicked off her shoes and tied up her hair after cleaning her face of makeup, but stole his suit jacket. He abandoned his tie and his shoes as well, though he still felt a little stuffy and constrained in the suit pants and shirt.

The night crawled along slowly, but in the best way possible until they could barely keep their eyes open or listen to another Real Housewife’s complaints about the other women in the room. Veronica had been edging closer to him the whole night until she was laying her head on his shoulder, saying something quietly through a yawn about one of the women on television and her mother getting into an argument once.

All at once she was cradling into his side, tucking her knees in and letting her eyes shut as she leaned into him. Jughead was still for a moment, hyper aware of every part of his body that touched her, but a moment later he was wrapping an arm around her, hugging her closer with a wave of surprising confidence.

Affection had become commonplace in small, justifiable doses. Silent movie viewing hand-holding, Jughead’s palm against her back as they moved through crowds or his arm across the back of the couch, fingers absentmindedly playing with her hair. Hugs goodbye and cheek kisses hello from her.

Some part of her was aware that maybe she was manipulating the situation, using how tired they both were to make an excuse to give into her whims and wants, maybe even slipping into those ‘old Veronica’ habits she’d left behind back in high school. Stil, her intentions were far from malicious. She just wanted to be close to him, she wanted to know what it would be like, to give into the little nagging thoughts in her head when he was close to her.

When he turned his head to look down at her, surprising them both with how close their faces were, she was so tempted to tip her face up and invite him in. It looked like he wanted to kiss her. Veronica liked to think she knew the look well, though she’d not seen it from him before. Rather than crashing through the distance and pressing her lips against his, she eventually pulled away from him, reaching for his hand to tug him up off the couch, her eyes half-lidded as she frowned. He only leaned back to grab the remote to silence the television, allowing her to lead him towards her bedroom where he paused in the doorway.

All it took was one look and another soft tug towards her bed before they were both slipping underneath the comforter. Neither was brave enough to initiate cuddling again, but Veronica held his hand in between her two and fell asleep like that. She woke up in the morning much closer to him than expected, but rather than continue to take advantage of circumstance, she pulled away and put some space between them, closing her eyes once more.

* * *

“I’m gonna get you to come around, Jones. Musicals are good if you stop being so damn cynical.” Veronica poked his arm as they dawdled along the sidewalk, making him turn his head to frown at her. She was early to dinner with Betty, but that was because she wanted to make the most of Jughead walking her there, as if she was dreading spending time apart.

Of course they got busy, but she didn’t think she’d gone more than a couple days without at least hearing from him. Though, she could definitely do without his complaining.

“I wouldn’t hate them if the actual musical parts weren’t so jarring.” He explained, one of several reasons he’d presented as why he didn’t like them, though partially it seemed that at this point he was arguing with her just to smirk at the look on her face.

“You’re being intentionally difficult.” She replied dismissively.

“And you’re trying to bully me into liking musicals.” He accused, stepping closer to her and staring back at her as her eyes went wide with offence.

“I’m merely kindly persuading you to listen to reason, Forsythe.”

Using his actual first name, as always, earned her a glare which had her looking triumphant, reaching her hand out to push him. He caught her wrist and tugged her closer to his side, then threw his arm around her as she pretended she didn’t enjoy being so close. The restaurant was in front of them before she had pulled away and she took a breath, figuring it was best for her to go in and sit down. She didn’t bother looking through the window to see if Betty was there, because she was usually on time or a little late, always doing a million things at once.

“You’re only allowed to come over again if you give _Moulin Rouge!_ another chance.” She told him, poking his chest and making him shrink at her demands.

“I guess you’ll have to come to my apartment then.” He replied quickly.

Considering the roommates he disliked so much, she doubted he was serious. Still, she narrowed her eyes at him and held out for a moment before he managed to make her laugh doing nothing at all. She exhaled and wrapped her arms around him in a goodbye that lingered too long before she let him go, pushing the door to the restaurant open. It didn’t take more than a moment for her to find that the table she usually shared with Betty wasn’t empty. In fact, a familiar blonde ponytail and tan trenchcoat was waiting for her.

She made her way through the room, trying to make her heartbeat return to normal. Veronica had no real reason to feel a sudden guilt and yet there it was, making her grip on her bag tighten. Betty looked concerned, maybe a little upset.

“You’re here early.” Veronica said, slipping into her seat opposite Betty and opening up her menu.

“Why were you with Jughead?” She posed the question in a less of an accusatory tone than was expected, but it still wasn’t good.

“He walked me here.” Was the simplest explanation she had, so that was what she gave.

“He walked you here… to dinner with me?”

Veronica caved. “We’ve been hanging out.”

“It looked like a little more than that.” Betty didn’t look impressed in the slightest, watching her for something and making her even more self conscious.

“B, don’t be ridiculous.”

“No, Veronica. Be honest with me. What’s going on between you two?” She demanded, leaning forward.

“I… God, _nothing_. Nothing has happened or will happened. We wouldn’t do that to you.” It was the worst way Veronica could have phrased it, but maybe it was the most honest way she could reply to Betty’s questioning too. Suddenly the feeling of being back in high school came over her, never being able to escape the stereotypes placed on her and it was infuriating. She’d never even had a real conversation with Jughead about it, maybe because they were avoiding the obvious, but there she was, submitted to questioning over a hug.

Betty didn’t look even slightly appeased, her big doe eyes widening. “And what, if we were on the outs you would go for it?”

Veronica let out a frustrated breath, her hands balling into fists. “We didn’t do anything wrong, we’re friends. You always complained about us not getting along… Now we get along.”

“This was _not_ what I meant.” Betty replied, sitting back and folding her arms. Suddenly, she seemed to become attentive once more, catching onto a thread she’d forgotten and tugging on it, always trying to unfurl all the answers. “Is this because of the book? Because he wrote something about you, you suddenly took interest?”

“Is this what it’s always going to come back to? That I’m shallow and I love attention?” The assertion hurt more than she thought it would.

“You have to admit, it does look that way, doesn’t it?” Her tone had gone cold, her expression feigning an indifference overtop of the hurt and anger at what she perceived to have happened.

Veronica blinked and looked away, sitting back in her chair. “It’s not like we’re together. We haven’t done anything.”

“You might as well have.” She didn’t realise that Betty was collecting her things until she was standing up and striding out of the restaurant. She didn’t have the energy to go after her.

* * *

Veronica had enough time to stew in her hurt, leaving the restaurant and calling the car to pick her up, to make some irrational, terrible decisions. She didn’t text Jughead right away, as if Betty would know either way. It made her feel a little better somehow, as if it made her more moral to not rush off back to him. He’d begun to make her feel safe and reassured. He made her happy, easily made her laugh with a quick wit she always knew he had, but which he used to wield against her.

All of the good things melted away the second she imagined Betty’s face, re-lived her unkind words. Veronica knew she would be just as upset if she had found out that Archie and Betty had been sneaking around behind her back, but that was the difference, she supposed. They were always hanging out before the breakups, it would have to be hooking up to make it really hurt. Veronica didn’t even know if it was one-sided. They hadn’t even had a conversation about it. She wanted to believe that she would be the bigger person about it, that she could be forgiving, but she didn’t know if that was true.

Instead, anger and pettiness mixed for a toxic concoction that had her deciding to leave her apartment and head across town.

* * *

Veronica never came to his apartment. That was just how it was.

She had an empty, spacious one of her own with no roommates to bother them or care if they were up late watching television at an obnoxious volume. She wasn’t labelling her food or trying to figure out who ignored the labels and ate her food anyway. Her king size bed fit in her room without issue, whereas Jughead barely had the space for a queen size and a desk. He didn’t have a lot in the first place, but his bedroom was as barebones as could be besides for the stacks of books.

That was why he was a little startled to Veronica in the doorway to his bedroom as his headphones slid down to his neck. She had knocked, but he’d only yelled out ‘come in’ because he expected it to be literally anyone else. He would have been only surprised, maybe a little embarrassed, if she didn’t have a look on his face that had him grasping at words. He stood up from his desk, bumping his chair into the back of his mattress in the struggle to stand up.

“What are you doing here?” He questioned, pulling his headphones off as she marched over to him.

“Don’t ask me that right now.” Was her simple response as she grasped his cheeks, tilting her head up to him. His heart began to thump hard in his chest, his cheeks heating up in a way that felt embarrassingly juvenile. She leaned up on her toes, watching him carefully, vulnerability seeping into her expression. It was a softness she had slowly stopped hiding from him. “Is this okay?”

He appreciated that she was asking, but he was a little fargone to think beyond closing the distance between them, pressing his lips against hers.

It wasn’t a kiss filled with heat. It was soft, scared of the consequences though it was too difficult to resist her when he looked at him like that.

Eventually, Jughead was the one who pulled away, his gaze looking past her as he realised what he’d done. He’d legitimised every single fear he seemed to have about their growing relationship. He’d given in to a pair of pretty eyes and pink lips, because he felt too much to care about what was supposed to be important to him. Still, kissing Veronica didn’t taste like disloyalty, it was as forbidden as it was delicious.

“That was…” Veronica exhaled, dropping her hands and linking them behind her back.

“A bad idea.” He finished the sentence for her, frowning. His head refused to clear, he was still thinking about what it was like kissing her, though he put up a front of concern.

She instantly looked nervous. “I’m sorry… I know that was irrational and rushed but I just… I don’t know, I needed to know how real this was.”

“Felt pretty real to me.” Jughead said quietly.

It was quiet for a moment, before Veronica spoke up again. “Betty saw us.”

“She saw us?” It felt as if it required some more clarification, as he was almost thinking he should be looking out the window to see the blonde hovering outside it. There was nothing there but the dark street.

“When you walked me to dinner, I didn’t know she was inside. She was early for once, so she was sitting there and she saw us... She got the wrong idea about us hanging out, I guess? Or… Maybe she didn’t. Maybe I’ve just been in denial about what we were doing, like if we didn’t acknowledge it or if we weren’t doing anything more than holding hands that it was okay. I don’t think I want that anymore.” She explained, looking up at him, keeping the incredibly small amount of distance between them.

Jughead fought the urge to wrap his arms around her, speaking not just to convince her but to convince himself too. “Come on, we’re not teenagers anymore, Veronica. There are consequences to this. Big, awful consequences... Consequences that may not be worth it, for something as fleeting as…”

She nodded, lowering her gaze. “No, you’re right… but… I mean, haven’t we basically already crossed that line? Betty already thinks we’re practically sleeping together.”

He chuckled humorlessly. “You make a good point.”

Her confidence had seemed to reach a new level as she placed her hands against his chest, some shift in her occuring that he hadn’t registered. “Good enough to get you to kiss me again?”

“ _Veronica_.”

“Fine, I’ll do it.” Jughead didn’t stop her, for all his apparent arguments against giving in. He kissed her back when she leaned up. He let himself grasp her waist, holding her to him as she grasped him by his t-shirt.

She began to tug him back, towards his bed. All at once he was being pulled on top of her, though none of his movements were as smooth as hers. He pressed a knee into the bed as he kept his lips on hers, kissing her with a little more fire than he had before. His whole body felt warm and she was so soft underneath him. For all her claims of ice, he felt no hard edges. They melted into one another and then flared, her teeth tugging on his bottom lip as she pushed him down onto the bed, flipping them.

Veronica straddled him with a grin, reaching for his hands and placing them on her thighs before she dived back into their kiss. He was tentative, though he wanted to slide his hands up her tanned skin hastily. He pressed his fingers into her bare skin, took his time getting used to touching her as they slid up, towards her hips. She rocked forward slightly above him, upping the heat of the moment as his teeth managed to capture her bottom lip. Her eyes met his and they seemed to dive back in, the urgency suddenly becoming greater. 

To his surprise, Veronica was the one who pulled away from their little makeout session, as if there was a shift in her. Her lipstick barely looked smudged, which was probably a testament to the brands she chose. To Jughead it kind of seemed like a challenge, but he was wary of the smile on her face.

“I should get out of here before we cross more lines than we want to, right?” She asked, carefully watching him from where she was with her hair falling in her face.

“Yeah… I…” He hadn’t exactly meant to say it, but he knew it was the realistic answer. He wanted her, that much she’d be able to tell very easily. That didn’t mean it was a good idea for them to do more than kiss.

“I’ll go.” She assured him, dismounting from his lap when he sat up too slow. Jughead watched her with the beginnings of a thousand different sentences on his tongue. The truth was he had no clue what to say to her. He had no clue what he thought, though he knew what he felt, what his body wanted, but to express anything but uncertainty felt like throwing himself headfirst through a window into the unknown.

Maybe they both needed time.

He shuffled to the edge of the bed and reached for her hand, wishing he could express all of that without being worried it would come out in a way that misrepresented how he felt. Veronica seemed to understand it enough. She leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek before she let herself out. Jughead was left staring after her, the smell of her expensive perfume lingering.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow it has been A WHILE. hey guys! i know i last updated this MONTHS ago but y'know, life happens. i literally just finished my first semester of my masters degree so i was like YOU KNOW WHAT? i'm gonna finish that fic. so, for better or worse here's ya final chapter. i tried to not rush too much but it IS the final one so i had to give myself and you guys something. that being said, i hope you enjoy it!

It was difficult, not feel completely consumed with thoughts of what they’d done. Especially in the days of silence that had followed, Veronica found herself overwhelmed with a memory of Jughead’s fingers brushing over her skin, the taste of his mouth against hers. She was struck in the middle of a cafe, waiting for her coffee or she was spellbound and not realising she had to get out of the car.

It had been an impulsive, irrational act, marching her way over to his apartment for a kiss, but in all her personal worries of manipulation, she’d been the one to pull away in the end too. She had left him to figure out where they stood. Part of her had suspicions that he was waiting on her too.

Her days were a little more empty without him. She checked her phone more times with the hope to find a message from him than she’d like to admit. Watching movies wasn’t quite as interesting or fun, she found that her fridge looked overstocked rather than barren when she realised she wasn’t feeding the both of them. Half the stuff in there she’d bought with him in mind, half the things she watched were on her brain because they’d spoken about them. It was as if she didn’t realise the difference he’d made to her life until he wasn’t there, as cliche and ridiculous as the very thought made her feel. She’d been depending on Jughead to stick by her and there was a chance she’d gone and ruined the whole thing.

The book launch had crept up on them both, but she had every intention of going in with a game plan. Not showing up would be far worse than forcing them both through a difficult conversation and she refused to even consider the thought. Veronica donned a dependable, classic pair of black pumps to go with her more toned down pencil skirt and blouse combo. She did her hair in classic soft waves, her hair a little longer than it used to be in high school though she’d been meaning to go a little shorter.

It was easy to get distracted, the minute she arrived she was overwhelmed with choice for her company. The easiest pick was Kevin, who again looked like he was filled to the brim with gossip he wanted to spill.

She greeted him with a hug and then tilted her head to the side, already unamused. “Kevin Keller, you better have an explanation for that look on your face. It’s _literally_ been thirty seconds.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at.” He replied, playing at coy.

“You look like you want to ask me something.” Veronica prompted, placing her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows at him. If he had heard things and had been telling other people, she wanted to know. She noticed Fangs was watching them from further away, Kevin’s boyfriend of the last year or so after reconnecting after high school. Veronica adored him and found him as easy to get along with as she did Toni, who’d always be her favourite Serpent addition to their circle. Even Sweet Pea had his own charm, though it was most especially noticeable when he was doting on their very own rising star, Josie. She spotted most of them hovering near the bar. Cheryl was comfortably hanging off Toni’s arm, somehow the only person who’d been able to make a high school relationship work into adulthood. It was a testament to how good Cheryl and Toni were for each other, probably. Sweet Pea and Josie were a little more on and off, especially with her career. It was difficult for her to be around all the time which was why she wasn’t present that night.  

Kevin gave in and his words seemed to spill over like he’d been only just managing to keep them in. “Okay, fine. Are you with Jughead now? All the stories I’m hearing are making the reality unclear.”

_Stories_ , multiple. How many people had stories? Veronica was no stranger to people talking about her, but the gossip never seemed to ramp down, even as they got older. She supposed it hadn’t been that long, but they certainly weren’t all seventeen anymore.

“I’m not with Jughead.” She clarified, though her tone was a little weak.

Kevin peered away as he spoke, raising his voice an octave. “You don’t sound totally convincing.”

“Can we talk about this later?” _Or never_ , she thought. Veronica loved Kevin, but she hadn’t really spoken to anyone about Jughead. She didn’t care to start doing it. Besides, she’d caught sight of the aforementioned author and close friend or maybe more walking a little ways away from her. She figured there was no use wasting time.  

Kevin had as well. He looked smug. “No problem.”

Holding tightly onto her clutch, Veronica moved though the people towards Jughead, ignoring now nervous she felt. It didn’t help that she hadn’t realised that FP was with him. It made sense, that he would come to the city for his son’s book launch, but it was strange to see him. He looked older, of course, but as always, handsome. There was no Serpent jacket in sight, only a blue button up, dress pants and a proud smile on his face. Veronica liked seeing that pride in him. She had always thought highly of him, for being the type of father who owned up to his mistakes and tried to make up for them. Especially with the example of her own father, who she made no effort to see any longer. It was clear he genuinely cared for his kid.

When Jughead caught sight of her, he paused like a deer caught in headlights, gave her a once over and then met her halfway. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She greeted back, peering at FP, who hadn’t yet noticed her.

Jughead behaved as if his father wasn’t there. “I didn’t know if you were coming.”

Veronica’s eyebrows knit together, as if it was ridiculous to think she would ever just not show up. “Of course I’m here. This is important to you… and it’s important to me. I meant it when I said I loved your book, Jug.”

He just nodded, looking away.

Veronica went on, somewhat awkwardly. “I thought you might text me. Is it bad that I was kind of disappointed you didn’t?”

“You could have texted me too, if you missed me.” He said, his shoulders falling in a way that seemed to show the exhaling of some sort of sadness. It seemed misplaced at the event they were at, but they were both a little bit awkward and put off.

Truthfully, she knew she could have made the first move and said something, but she supposed she was playing some sort of game of chicken with him, in her head. She kept thinking he’d give in first, as if she had some sort of hold on him since their kiss. Or maybe even before that. It was a little immature, but it was the reality of it. “I guess.”

Jughead pressed his lips together, as if he was hard pressed for the words he wanted to say. Then he held out his hands and explained. “Look, I promise, we can talk about this later. I _want_ to talk about it, I just… my dad can’t stay too late, since he’s got a shift tomorrow morning and has to drive back so I just…”

Veronica nodded, though it stung in some way, that he didn’t want her to even say hello to his father. Betty had always gotten along with FP, they’d always been looking out for Jughead, the both of them. It was a little dramatic a thought, but it wouldn’t have hurt to let her say hello. “I get it. Whenever you’re ready. I just… I want you to know I’m really proud of you and this book. I’m sure he is too.”

For a moment, Jughead seemed to pause, really looking at her. When he spoke, his voice sounded more sincere, his words less rushed. “Thanks, Veronica.”

She gave him an uneasy smile and turned way just in time to run right into Betty Cooper.

Of course, it was awkward, but Veronica was more glad to see her than not. She wanted everyone to be there and that included Betty, even if she didn’t expect her to suddenly have a more favourable opinion of her. At least in this case, she wasn’t solely holding all of the blame, but Jughead was with his father and she was all alone, taking in the blonde carefully.

“Veronica.” Her tone seemed less sharp and irritated than she had thought it would be.

They hadn’t fought in so long, not the intense way they used to. Betty was always the one swearing she wouldn’t be talking to anyone ever again. Veronica was always the one apologising profusely via baked goods and flowers. Safe to say she’d been a little preoccupied for that.

She took a breath before she greeted her. “Hi, Betty.”

Though Veronica had braced herself for war, what she got instead was something far different. “I just want to get this out of the way: I’m sorry about what I said.”

The surprise was evident in her face, though she was also just waiting for a ‘but’ to follow. “What? You are?”

Betty seemed to take a moment before she began to explain. “I’m surprised too. I’m not exactly over the moon about whatever is going on between the two of you, but… I think Jug and I really were over long before he showed any interest in you. We were holding onto something that was only holding us back. Obviously, I don’t want to hear about how things are going over brunch in vivid detail, but if you’re really doing something good for one another, I don’t want to be the thing standing in your way.”

It was impossible, to know what to say to all of that. So, instead of rambling on, Veronica wrapped her arms around her tightly. “Oh, Betty.”

As they both pulled back, Betty gave her a smile. “And who knows, maybe Archie and I will finally happen and then we’ll be even.”

Veronica made a face before they both began to laugh. It felt as if they had entered a new chapter in their friendship, as if they had really grown up from those teenage girls clinging to grudges. It couldn’t have been easy for her to say what she’d said, which was why she hadn’t bothered telling her that she wasn’t even sure where she and Jughead stood. Instead, she hooked her arm around the blonde’s and led her towards the bar where their other friends remained, now noticing that Archie was also there. This time with no girl on his arm. It was too difficult to resist looking over at Jughead, but when she did his back was to her and it was only FP that caught her eye. She gave him a little smile, he returned it and she paid attention to the conversation happening in front of her again.

* * *

Jughead was feeling far less at ease, rolling back on the balls of his feet as he waited for his dad to finish up saying goodbye to the semicircle of his friends who’d come out. Sweet Pea and Fangs were still living back in Riverdale, but the former was staying with Jughead for the night and the latter was spending a few days with Kevin while they had them.

He’d caught Veronica’s eye a couple of times, but he wouldn’t allow himself to look too long. He barely said more than a few words to her, feeling a sudden anxiety about interacting with her in a room full of people. He’d thought he’d completely gotten over those feelings of shame over liking her the way he did, but it didn’t seem to be the case. He could only thank god that no one had made jokes about her and his book with his dad in hearing distance. Despite what it may have seemed like, it wasn’t even just because of their past butting heads or her family, but there was also something to be said about her settling for someone like him.

Even if he had learned to be proud of where he came from, he knew that Veronica would never exactly understand his circumstances. She would never be completely comfortable coming back to Riverdale to visit his dad and spending her time in a trailer park. When they spent time together, it was in her apartment, surrounded by the reminder that she would always have a soft place to land. There was more to talk though and sort out than he thought there was and he couldn’t help but think they were destined for some sort of fizzle out.

He was absolutely overthinking it, even as they finally peeled away to head towards the car. It took FP saying something to snap him out of it.

“You alright, Jug?” The older man asked, peering at him with narrowed eyes as they made their way up the street.

Jughead blinked and then gave an unconvincing nod and smile, though he wasn’t totally lying, not when it came to how he genuinely felt about the book launch. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m great. It went pretty damn well, I think.”

His dad nodded, returning his smile with a real one. “S’a good book. I always knew you were gonna put some good stuff out in the world… I’m real proud of you, boy.”

“Thanks, dad.”

They finally reached the car and FP paused after opening the door, resting his hand on it as he looked at his son, his expression the tiniest bit suspicious. “Is something going on between you and the Lodge girl?”

He almost did a double take. He felt like he should have been spitting out a glass of water, more comedically fake surprised than genuinely confused. It was a good thing he’d never wanted to go into acting. “Me and Veronica? Why would you think that?”

“You’ve always been a shitty liar, Jug, at least when it comes to me. I could see right through all those glances.” His dad pointed out, leaning on the door.

“We barely spoke to each other.”

“You wrote a book about her.”

Jughead had no argument for that. No one had quite said it like that to him, no one except Veronica. “You noticed?”

“I’d like to think I just know my son well, but I think most people noticed.” He grinned, his eyes crinkling in his amusement over it. Though Jughead was still a little embarrassed, it made the anxiety in him practically evaporate. He was left feeling kind of stupid for thinking that his father was holding onto his own teenage grudges about actions that weren’t even Veronica’s.

“Fuck.” Was all he seemed to be able to come up with for a moment. “I should probably talk to her.”

FP raised his eyebrows at him, holding out his arms. “Probably.”

They hugged for a long moment before pulling away and Jughead watched his dad get in the car, then continued to follow the car as it drove away, until he shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking back to where everyone was. To his surprise, the girl they’d just been discussing seemed to meet him halfway, looking down at her phone and then up just in time not to crash into him. His eyebrows furrowed together and she gave an awkward smile, peering past him as though she was making sure FP was gone.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” He asked, hands still hovering around her arms.

“Thought about it.” Veronica shrugged, her hands dropping to her sides and her phone pushed through the opening in her zipper on her bag.

“We still have to talk.” He reminded, hands now shoved into his pockets.

She raised her eyebrows at him, amused but also maybe a little genuinely concerned. “Are you sure you wanna do that when everyone’s going to know exactly what we’re doing? Or at the very least, they’ll have plenty of theories.”

Jughead dismissed the worry swiftly. “I don’t give a fuck about that.”

“You did before.” And it was fair for her to call him out for that much, but that conversation with his dad had changed a lot for him, though she didn’t know it.

“I was being an idiot.”

“It’s okay, Jughead, if you’re second guessing how you felt or if you’re not into it. I get that the consequences are daunting and that trying changes everything. I would never want to make you feel pressured, even if writing a book about me was totally leading me on.”

Jughead wasn’t sure what to say or how to word how ridiculous the idea of him truly second guessing his feelings for her. Maybe he’d found the concept of them being as highly visible as they would have been in that room daunting, but it would take a lot more than that to make him not want her at all. So, what he did express was the most truthful, immediate thought in his brain. “I don’t want you to go.”

Thankfully, it made a pleasantly surprised smile appear on her face. “Okay, so I won’t go.”

“Look, Veronica, I know I’ve been sending some… mixed signals but that’s not it at all, okay? I haven’t just gotten over it or you. That would be pretty impossible.” He explained, still feeling nervous about continuing on.

“You sure?”

He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I just got this idea in my head that my dad wouldn’t be cool with it, after everything so I didn’t want to be too obvious and… of course he saw through it all anyway.”

“I don’t blame you. I know he has no reason to be fond of me.” Veronica’s gaze shot downwards, visibly a little bothered by the thought.

Jughead quickly shook his head, smiling fondly. “That’s the thing, he didn’t care. In fact, he kind of called me out on not talking to you.”

“FP Jones is okay with _this_?” She motioned between them, looking skeptical.

“I guess he is.” He shrugged. “That’s one down, a million to go, right?”

“Betty spoke to me too.” Veronica told him. He’d noticed the two of them getting along again. He’d noticed a lot of things, it was hard not to watch her when she was around.

“Yeah?”

“She _apologised_. Back in high school I think she would have excommunicated the both of us.”

Jughead knew it wasn’t necessarily a laughing matter, but their high school dramatics really did feel a world away when they were managing not to break friendships over romance so he did it anyway. “Oh, she _definitely_ would have.”

She nodded, seemingly becoming a little more nervous before she went on. “I’m really glad she isn’t going to. I really think this could be worth the risk, Jug.”

“I think so too.” It felt like a weight lifted. They were gonna figure it out, whatever they were or could be They didn’t have to rush in, they could just let it happen. He nodded towards the building. “Can I walk you back?”

Veronica grinned proudly. “Yes. You very much can.”

With that they fell into step beside one another, making their way back to the party and their friends, who all stared but said nothing save for a few laughs here and there, taking note of the far more obvious development when Veronica leaned against him and he put his arm comfortably around her shoulder.

* * *

 

They could barely make it to the elevator before again being moments from a kiss. Somehow Veronica ended up with her back against the wall of the small space, looking up at him. And maybe she had grasped onto his shirt to keep him there, feeling the rush of freedom to do whatever they liked without shame flooding through them both immediately.

It was still there under the surface, but it wasn’t so overwhelming it halted the moment.

The neatness of his suit was long abandoned, his shirt now open a couple buttons and his jacket was over her shoulders. Veronica looked as sleek as ever, though she longed to change that. They were both terrible teases, though, the power shifting between them. She leaned up as though she may finally close that gap like they both wanted to. His eyes fluttered shut and she heard him stop breathing for that moment, but then she was laughing softly, her fingers brushing over his jaw and a cheeky look on her face. The hand against the elevator wall balled into a fist as his eyes opened, his expression full of need that threw her off entirely. He pushed himself closer and she wasn’t laughing any longer.

The elevator door opened before they could quite finish.

Veronica smirked as he breathed out heavily and reluctantly pulled away. She grasped his hand with both of hers, leading him out of the elevator, her heels quiet against the carpet.

“I hope you didn’t plan on only walking me to my door.” She announced as they got close to it.

Jughead had a smirk on his face. “That’d be the gentlemanly thing to do.”

Veronica grimaced at that and then turned away, dropping his hand so she could unlock her door to let the both of them in. “It’d be the cruel thing to do. Don’t you think I’ve been deprived enough?”

He seemed confused. “Of me?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded, her expression more teasing than serious. “I really did miss you.”

“Wasn’t that long.”

“Let me be dramatic, Jughead.”

“Okay.” He replied, giving her a very genuine smile that had her stomach practically doing somersaults. Especially when he spoke again after a beat of silence. “...I missed you too.”

That was all she needed to lean up, grasping his collar to pull him down into what was supposed to be a swift kiss. It left her unexpectedly out of breath when he kissed her back and it got a little more heated, leaving her blinking up at him, trying to remember what she was doing to say. “You... see what you get when you’re nice to me?”

He just grinned triumphantly, arms wrapping tighter around her waist before he leaned down to kiss her again. They let that moment envelop them as they backed towards the couch. Jughead seemed to catch her train of thought, helping to lift her legs so she could prop herself up on the back. He still had to lean down to keep kissing her, but it made things a little easier and it meant her legs could wrap around him, losing herself entirely to the want she felt. Again, every little thing they’d pushed down came rushing to the surface and she wondered how they’d ever pretended they were just good friends.

She was the one to pull away, though this time it wasn’t to hurry off into the night. Her breath was still a little heavy and she giggled as he went to peck her cheek, clearly not wanting to stop there. “You know, actually I was thinking…”

“Mm…” Jughead seemed to have decided he didn’t want to do much of that, instead kissing along her jaw, determined to get down to her neck. It would be the best way to shut her up, which she suspected he wanted to do.

Veronica placed her hands on his chest, easing him back. “Instead of getting all hot and heavy there’s something very important we could be doing. Go sit down.”

He was clearly reluctant to follow the order and she didn’t blame him, but he pulled away while rolling his eyes, circling around the couch to sit down even if he didn’t want to. She already had the remove in hand, queuing the movie up before he could even begin to verbalise a complaint. Settling in beside him, she grinned as the movie began to play and beside her, Jughead realised she’d remembered that conversation from however long ago. They were watching _Moulin Rouge!_ , just like she’d told him he had to.

Veronica glanced at him and saw his eyebrows furrowed together as he watched the screen.“Really? _This_ is what you wanna be doing right now?”

“Yep.” She said it with an expression so smug it was a wonder how he didn’t call her out on it.

Despite her attempts to keep them both focused, she didn’t quite last that long. He admitted partway through that it wasn’t as bad as he remembered and she’d grinned and crawled into his lap as some sort of reward for not hating it. Veronica had still intended to watch, but that was difficult when his fingers began to play along her thigh. It was clear now that things weren’t going to go back to the way they were. They were a better kind of different, a comforting, exciting kind that sent a thrill up her spine when she reached for his hand, easing it up a little higher as she watched the television. Her arm along the back of the couch kept her steady as she moved slightly, tilting her head as he finally got to press a soft kiss to her neck.

It wasn’t until his fingers were rubbing over her panties as her legs parted a little further for him that she decided they could definitely revisit the film another time.

* * *

 Being Veronica Lodge’s boyfriend wasn’t exactly what Jughead used to envision it as. He supposed that he used to think about it with an air of distaste, as if the title made Archie something to show off. Their relationship wasn’t much like that, though she loved to boast about his writing she never went overboard and he appreciated that. All of his own insecurity about the two of them together had gotten easier to work through when they were completely honest with one another. Veronica had her own insecurities to, especially those to do with their parents’.

They hung out in her apartment like they used to more than they went to fancy events, though he supposed it wasn’t exactly the same because plenty of it was done while neither was fully dressed. When they couldn’t be together, they took comfort in phone dates watching movie in unison. He accompanied when she went grocery shopping, filling her cart with double the food. He told her about his new writing ideas while helping her pick out dresses or jewellery or lingerie, though the latter was always an incredibly difficult distraction. They went to plays and sometimes the odd musical, if she could convince him it was worth it. It took time for Betty and Archie to truly adjust, but they got there eventually. It wasn’t always easy, but it was incredibly worth it.

Eventually, they found it easier for Jughead to just move into her apartment, since he spent most of his time there anyway. There wasn’t much to move anyway and it seemed he fit in there, by the bookshelf or at the dining table drinking tea out of one of the three mugs he’d brought with him. Neither one of them had been able to foresee that one book would bring them so close together, but as he read it again a year later he saw her in all of it, so clear it left him dumbstruck. He saw everything he now loved about her in those pages and wondered how he’d ever been able to deny it. Then, she was coming through the bedroom door, fresh from bed only a thin robe on and he’d finally admitted it.

“Okay, maybe you kind of are my muse.”


End file.
